Leadership change at VDMA's Food Processing and Packaging Machinery and Process Technology Equipment associations: Johannes Schmid-Wiedersheim has been the new Managing Director since April and will take over responsibility from Richard Clemens, who is retiring at the end of September.
Johannes Schmid-Wiedersheim (49) brings extensive experience from the national and international trade fair sector. In his previous career, he worked for Hamburg Messe and Messe Frankfurt, among others, where he managed major trade fairs such as IFFA and Texcare. This experience will be beneficial to him in leading the VDMA trade associations, particularly in an environment strongly characterised by innovation and international competition.
Challenges and Goals
The VDMA trade associations, which Schmid-Wiedersheim will now lead, are key players in mechanical and plant engineering. The Trade Association for Food Processing and Packaging Machinery includes over 300 member companies, which account for a significant share of the industry's revenue. The Trade Association for Process Engineering Machines and Equipment represents around 370 manufacturers. Both associations face the challenge of strengthening their position in international competition and further expanding the innovative strength of their members.
Looking back on Richard Clemens‘ term in office
For over 30 years, Richard Clemens has shaped the industry associations with great expertise, in-depth industry knowledge, and passionate commitment. Under his leadership, the associations were able to further strengthen their position as a strong voice for the food machinery, packaging machinery, and process machinery and apparatus construction sectors, and successfully advance numerous industrial policy and international issues. Research and innovation were of great importance to him. Through the consistent development of a strong network and strategic partnerships with universities and research institutions, he has sustainably strengthened the innovation capacity of the industry.
Overall, the VDMA represents 3,500 mechanical and plant engineering companies, which employ around 3 million people in the EU-27. With an estimated turnover of €900 billion, mechanical and plant engineering is the largest employer among the capital goods industries in the EU.
Source: VDMA
